France Threatens Afghan Pullout After Afghani Soldier Opens Fire, killing 4 French soldiers, seriously wounding 8

[웃 910]

France Threatens Afghan Pullout After Attack

France suspended its training and combat-support operations in Afghanistan and threatened to pull its troops from the country after an Afghan soldier opened fire on a group of French service members, killing four and seriously wounding eight.

"The French army isn't in Afghanistan to be shot at by Afghan soldiers," President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a speech to diplomats in Paris. The incident on Friday was the second attack by Afghan forces on French soldiers since late December.

Mr. Sarkozy dispatched Defense Minister Gérard Longuet and the head of the French army to Afghanistan to conduct a review of security, ...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204616504577172321948562072.html?mod=rss_middle_east_news&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[ScramJet 35]

Afghan soldier opened fire on French soldiers? I doubt it, most likely it was Al Qaeda terrorist or somebody affiliated with them. They are known to cross dress to induce battlefield confusion.

[Darnell 8,479]

FYI - nothing immigration related on this particular Religion and/or Political Topic.

Where's the politics for this news item, btw?

[웃 910]

FYI - nothing immigration related on this particular Religion and/or Political Topic.

Where's the politics for this news item, btw?

See: Afghan War

Clockwise from top-left: British Royal Marines take part in the clearance of Nad-e Ali District of Helmand province; two F/A-18 strike fighters conduct combat missions over Afghanistan; an anti Taliban fighter during an operation to secure a compound in Helmand Province; A French soldier patrols a valley in Kapisa province; U.S. marines prepare to board buses shortly after arriving in southern Afghanistan; Taliban fighters in a cave hideout; U.S. soldiers prepare to fire a mortar during a mission in Paktika province.

Edited January 21, 2012 by ☠

[Darnell 8,479]

Still nothing political. Sorry. The fellas in the trenches not fiddle-fart around with policy, ever.

[Dan and Judy 614]

Still nothing political. Sorry. The fellas in the trenches not fiddle-fart around with policy, ever.

"War is the continuation of politics." In this sense, war is politics and war itself is a political action; since ancient times there has never been a war that did not have a political character.... However, war has its own particular characteristics and in this sense, it cannot be equated with politics in general. "War is the continuation of politics by other . . . means." When politics develops to a certain stage beyond which it cannot proceed by the usual means, war breaks out to sweep the obstacles from the way.... When the obstacle is removed and our political aim attained the war will stop. Nevertheless, if the obstacle is not completely swept away, the war will have to continue until the aim is fully accomplished.... It can therefore be said that politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.

"On Protracted War" (May 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, pp. 152-53 * Quotations from Mao Tse Tung http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/works/red-book/ch05.htm

[Darnell 8,479]

Still no political stuff here, sorry.

This is a great OT topic, btw.

[Dan and Judy 614]

Afghan soldier opened fire on French soldiers? I doubt it, most likely it was Al Qaeda terrorist or somebody affiliated with them. They are known to cross dress to induce battlefield confusion.

I think the average Afgan soldier is just a dirt farmer or goat herd that took the job of soldier just to feed himself and family.

A certain percentage would have been sypathetic to the terrorists to start with.

The evilness of the bad guys may seem self evident to us but I think it's a little bit like the Chinese Occupying Canada and then trying to convince the Canadians how evil the US is.

If they had military control of Canada and the people were starving some Canadians would join their army. One or two Chinese might get shot by accident. I imagine the Chinese

would deal with the problem by executing the wife and children and parents of the offender. That would take some of the fun out of it.

I think the big problem is we think we are doing them a favor by being there while most of them would prefer that we were not.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Why do the French even bother showing up to these things?

[tmma 467]

Still no political stuff here, sorry.

This is a great OT topic, btw.

that's funny...good one! You feign silliness very well!

oh .........you're serious?

While the French role in the Afghan operations, on it's own may not amount to much; as part of the larger multinational effort may set precident for more 'allies' to withdraw combat support. That most definatly has implications for us militarily, and not least politically as far as strategy goes.

Can't believe the political relevance has to be explained

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

**** closed for review *****

***** Re-opened, with several posts removed. Discuss the OT or be threadbanned *****

Edited January 21, 2012 by Penguin_ie

[Ban Hammer 13,516]

edited

Edited January 21, 2012 by charles!

[^_^ 5,021]

[luckytxn 2,265]